


Carrier

by just_a_noona



Series: Carrier [1]
Category: B.A.P
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-10 21:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7862368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_noona/pseuds/just_a_noona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What do you do when you're thousands of years old, independently wealthy, and have complicated ideas about harm reduction and humanity? Start a black market shuttle service.<br/>What do you do when you're a drunk woman in a bad part of town? Call for a special taxi that caters to your problem.<br/>What do you do when your instincts clash with decency? Your best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The first call

This definitely qualified as a shitty situation.

My ex had shown up, so **of course**  I latched a little too hard onto first guy that gave me a second glance. The guy had picked up the tab, so **of course**  I had drank more than I normally would. The guy expected to be “repaid” for his tab, so **of course**  we had argued. He had eventually decided that I was more trouble than getting laid was worth, so _**of course**_  I ended up being dumped in this run down outskirts of the city.

No busses ran out here. No trains either, not that they were running at this time of night. No taxis thought the area was worth their time. I was stranded, standing in an all night convenience store that had shatter-proof glass between me and the cashier.

After paying for the worst cup of coffee I had ever had in my life, I finally hit the call button next to the contact labelled as “Carriers” in my phone. Lifting the phone to my ear I heard a midi version of some pop song float through the speaker.  _Great. Real classy. This is probably a mistake._  I lifted the cup to my lips, wincing at the taste of what seemed to be tar mixed with mud.

“Do you know your location?”

I nearly dropped the phone. I hadn’t been paying attention, so I hadn’t heard the Muzak get cut off.

“I, uh… I think I’m on the East side of the city?”

“Is the location service on your phone turned on?”

I nodded.

“Miss?”

“Sorry,” definitely still drunk, “yes. It’s on.”

“Alright. Stay on the line while we locate you.”

This time I was assaulted with a low quality rendition of Overdose. I wondered if any of their clients were ever offended by that.

A ratty green car drove by. Without really knowing why, I tried to hide behind the light pole as much as possible. An eon seemed to pass before the voice returned.

“Convenience store to your right? Strip club half a block up?”

“What?”

“Your surroundings.”

“Oh…” I looked around, “uh… Yes.”

“The nearest carrier is on a motorcycle. Is that alright?”

“Sure. Fine. Whatever,” I just wanted this night to be over.

“The carrier will be there in approximately five minutes. Would you like me to stay on the line until then?”

“No. It’s fine.”

“Good.”

“Than-”

The line went dead before I could get the sentence out. I clutched my phone tightly and readjusted my coat. No amount of tugging the garment closer seemed to dim the chill of the air. My breath chattered slightly as I waited.

I heard the bike before I saw it. The high pitched whine of someone who needed to get somewhere, and needed to get there as quickly as possible.

The bike pulled up a good fifteen feet away. The rider was six feet if he was an inch. He, for I had been warned by Miyoung that all of the “carriers” were male, seemed to be built somewhere slightly on the muscular side of average, but it was difficult to tell underneath his protective jacket. He dismounted from the bike and stayed still, facing me, with his helmet on.

“You called for a carrier?”

This time I could nod without feeling like an idiot. He reached into a bag on his bike and pulled out a second leather jacket. Holding it out towards me, he gestured with his other hand for me to come closer.

It seemed surreal. Considering the situation I had just gotten out of, it felt odd to simply trust this man. I hadn’t even seen his face, but I was about to get on this bike with him?

I stopped when I was within a foot of him. When I made no further movement, he stepped forward and gently pulled the jacket around my shoulders.

“It’s for your safety. Plus you seem pretty cold. Here.”

He zipped up the coat, snugly snapping the collar shut under my chin. Once he was satisfied with my coverage, he tugged the black gloves from his hands. As he tugged them over my own, nearly frozen, digits, I got distracted by his fingers. He wore a plain silver band around one finger on his left hand, and a matching black one on his right. His fingers were slender, but not quite delicate looking. For some reason I wanted to lick them, bite them.

_Drunk. Definitely drunk._

The carrier turned away from me. A panicky feeling flooded my veins. Was he going to leave me here?

I grabbed his arm, clutching it tightly.

“Don’t leave me here!”

The helmet turned towards me, tilting to one side.

“I won’t,” those delicate fingers, contrasting so harshly against the black ring, reached up and patted my hair from my face.

“But you need to wear the other helmet.”

_Oh. Of course. He wouldn’t just give me a coat and gloves and then leave._

I warily let go of his arm. The hint of a chuckle escaped the helmet as he grabbed the second one and turned back to face me.

“Here,” he smoothed my hair back again. Slowly, gently, he lowered the helmet over my head. I heard a tap on the outside, followed by a beep near my ear.

“Can you hear me?”

_Inter-helmet walkie-talkies?_

“Yes.”

“Good. Comfortable?”

“Yes.”

His hands squeezed my upper arms reassuringly.

“I’d ask if you want to finish the coffee, but I think we both know it’s nearly poison. Ready to go?”

I just nodded.

He helped me onto the bike before climbing on in front of me.

“Hold on tight.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist. I could feel him move when he laughed.

“You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that.”

* * *

I read the mobile ticket on my phone. Whoever this one was, she was lucky I was in this area. If I hadn’t been, the next closest carrier was a good twenty-eight minutes away.

None of the other players seemed to mind when I stood to leave. The game had been going in my favour anyway, so I couldn’t blame them. I quickly collected my winnings and hurried to the motorcycle I had left outside. If I didn’t already know for a fact that everyone in the area already knew better, I would have been surprised that it was still there.

I knew the convenience store well. I saw who I assumed was my package standing under one of the light posts outside. Poor thing was holding a cup of what the store clerks tried to pass off as coffee.She must really be in a tough spot if she’s willing to put that swill into her mouth.

I stopped with what I calculated to be a non-threatening distance between us, kicking the stand down and disengaging the engine. I climbed off the bike and faced her.

“You called for a carrier?”

She nodded slowly, and I could see the concern on her face.  _First time caller._ I didn’t hold it against her. Who knows what sort of night she had been having? Of course she was nervous about getting onto a bike with an unknown male.

I tugged my old jacket out of my bag. I tried to keep it on hand for calls like this. Cold nights never seemed to persuade some girls from dressing, well, exactly as you’d expect to see in the clubs that most of our packages attended.

I held it out to her, not wanting to spook her by advancing on her. She slowly walked up until she was just a few inches away from me. She seemed to get lost then, so I started to help her get the jacket on.

That’s when her scent hit me. I was thankful for the rules that said I had to keep my face obscured. The helmet guaranteed that she couldn’t see my reaction. My teeth, my mouth opening and closing slightly, and I’m sure there was a reaction in my pupils as well. I didn’t know if I wanted to eat her, fuck her, or just kill her for the fun of it.

“It’s for your safety. Plus you seem pretty cold. Here.”

I busied myself with zipping and buttoning the jacket. Anything to do. Anything to distract me from that smell. I tugged my gloves off and pulled them over her hands. She watched my hands closely as I did so. Something in her expression unsettled me a little. I tore my gaze away from her face and turned to retrieve the other helmet.

Instantly, her arms were wrapped around one of mine. She tugged on it desperately.

“Don’t leave me here!”

I closed my eyes and turned to face her slightly. Again, I was thankful for the helmet.

“I won’t,” opening my eyes, seeing the fear on her face, the high of her scent was diminished somewhat. I still had mixed reactions, but they weren’t as strong. I wanted to taste her, touch her, see what was under her skin. I realised that I could do at least one of those things. Reaching up, I brushed her hair back from her face. Her skin felt electric under my fingertips, sending a buzzing sensation through my fingers and up my arm.

“But you need to wear the other helmet.”

She looked embarrassed and dropped my arm.  _Cute._  I laughed.

“Here,” I took the chance to feel her skin, her hair, that electric buzz again, before settling the helmet over her head.

 _Thank god._  I could think more clearly now. I clicked the intercom on on her helmet.

“Can you hear me?”

“Yes”

“Good,” _that voice was going to be distracting on the ride_ , “comfortable?”

“Yes.”

 _God damn it._  I squeezed her arms, trying to ground myself. I hadn’t thought this through very well. I felt bad suddenly, realising that this poor girl was being felt up by a stranger. I tried to lighten the mood.

“I’d ask if you want to finish the coffee, but I think we both know it’s nearly poison. Ready to go?”

She nodded, not seeming so tense any more. I helped her get settled on the bike first, though it was basically an excuse to hold onto her hands for a minute. I climbed up in front of her, that other part of my brain wondering idly what it would feel like to have her be the one in my lap.

“Hold on tight.”

Her arms slid around my waist. I twitched, hiding the muscle jerk under a laugh.

“You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that.”

* * *

The ride was fast, terrifying, and mostly silent, save for the engine and some brief directions. As we pulled up in front of my apartment, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Glad to be home?”

“Yes.”

The motorcycle came to a halt, and he kicked the stand down.

“Wait, I’ll help.”

The carrier dismounted first. Carefully, he helped me down from my seat. I tugged the helmet from my head and handed it back to him.

“Are you okay from here?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks for the ride, uh…”

“Chan. It’s no problem. Stay safe.”

I nodded. He got back on his bike and shot off into the receding darkness of the night.

* * *

The ride was blessedly quiet. She lived in an area that I was fairly familiar with, so the need for directions was limited.

* * *

“So he jumps up, right? And he’s pissed. Like, ready to cut this guy he’s so pissed. But he can’t do anything in the place so he starts challenging the guy, telling him to go outside if he thinks he’s such a big…”

I was glad that I could slip away from the conversation relatively unnoticed. I didn’t give a shit about the almost-fight that Sunmi almost saw. Pulling the leather coat on, I headed up to the rooftop patio.

It was usually quieter up there, and tonight was no exception. Besides the bartender, I was the only one there.

Looking out over the city, I heard the faint whine of a motorcycle engine on the wind. I dug the gloves that the carrier had given me out and put them on.

* * *

“The nearest carrier is six minutes away. They will arrive in a black mustang. Would you like the license number for verification?”

A mustang? Of course, it was irrational to expect to get the same carrier. I groaned slightly.

“I won’t remember it. Can you just give me the carrier’s name?”

“I’m sorry, but that information is private. If you would like to choose a security word or phrase, I could communicate it to the carrier so that you can verify that you are going with the correct person.”

“Fine,” this was so frustrating. I decided on my nickname from my grandfather, “tell him to call me Little Turtle.”

“Alright. Would you like me to stay on the line until he arrives?”

“No, thanks.”

“Good.”

* * *

The car was spotless. It looked almost menacing in its perfection. Every angle and dip glittered under the street-lamps. One of the windows with a tint of questionable legality rolled down. I saw a sliver of a face wearing a black and white face mask and mirrored glasses.

“Carrier for Little Turtle.”

I nodded and what seemed to be a giant climbed out of the driver’s side. When he circled around the car, I noted his boots. Ah, he was probably only a few centimetres taller than Chan without those on.

He pulled the passenger side door open and stood aside. When I hesitated, he bent down and put a hand on a handle at the side of the seat.

“Would you feel more comfortable in the back?”

“No, no, it’s fine,” I shook myself out of my daze, “I’m just… It’s silly.”

He stood back up, tilting his head. The movement reminded me so much of the other carrier; of Chan.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No,” I tightened Chan’s coat around myself. Stepping forward, I nodded a slight bow to the carrier. It was hard to tell underneath his mask and glasses, but I thought he smiled at me.

“Nice jacket.”

* * *

Ten minutes into the ride and I had to ask.

“The operator said your names are confidential.”

“Yes.”

“Why is that?”

“Plenty of reasons. Sometimes we need to extract packages from situations where there’s a bit of,” he hesitated, “trouble. If people knew who we were, that trouble could follow us.”

“Ah,” I turned to look out the window, “my calls must seem tedious then.”

“Not at all,” the carrier’s voice sounded light, reassuring, “your types of calls are the other reason our names are secret.”

“What reason is that?”

The carrier’s head turned towards me briefly. I thought I saw his eye twitch. A wink behind the glasses?

“Can’t have all of our clients falling in love with their rescuers, can we?”

I hunched in the seat, pulling the collar of Chan’s jacket up around my cheeks.

“Oh.”

A deep rumbling kind of laugh filled the car.

“Why? Do you want to know my name?”

“It was just weird. The last carrier told me his name.”

“Really?” His voice lifted, as if he was getting some glorious gossip.

“Who was it?”

“Will he get in trouble?”

“I won’t say anything, except maybe to tease him.”

I hesitated.

“Chan.”

* * *

I couldn’t wait to get back to the hub. It had been a while since Himchan had messed up so bad. At least he has good taste.

I paused before getting out of the car. Fleetingly, I caught a lingering whiff of her scent and I wondered just how good she tasted.

When I got into the building I nearly skipped over to Chan’s desk. I stopped myself though. Not only would that alert the others that something was going on, but I needed to think of how to bring this up to him. Should I tease him? Tell him that she had asked my name?

I flashed back to how he had been after his last… attempt had fallen through. No. Maybe it wouldn’t do to make it seem like she had liked me. Not if I didn’t want to have to help clean up the entire office.

Well shit, looks like I’d have to stick to the facts.

* * *

“Channie-hyung!”

My head snapped up.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?”

Jun lifted his hands in supplication, but had a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Just thought you might want to hear about this package tonight.”

I rolled my eyes, already tired with the story.

“Why should I care about some package?”

“She was real pretty,” he leaned against my desk, entirely too casual, “real drunk. Smelled fucking great too,” he scratched at his chin, obviously pretending that he had to think hard.

“Wore this leather jacket, white stripes on the sleeves. Said to call her Little Turtle.”

I sat up a little straighter. I couldn’t help it. Sure, there were hundreds, probably thousands of jackets like the one I had left with that girl, but a guy can hope.

“She asked me if I knew a carrier named Chan.”

I bolted out of my seat.

“You have the ticket?”

“Sure,” he held it out, “what are you going to do?”

“Gotta talk to Jae.”

* * *

I burst into the back office. Jae sat in front of a computer, pulling up someone’s location. Impatient, I paced behind him.

“Would you like me to stay on the line until they arrive?… Good.”

As soon as he dropped the phone onto it’s cradle I hauled his chair back from the computer.

“Hey!”

“This number,” I thrust the ticket into his hand, “unless it’s totally unreasonable, you give rides for this number to me.”

“Yah, you know the boss won’t like…”

I leaned down, supporting myself on the armrests of the chair.

“You give that package to me, me alone.”

“But…”

“If you don’t do this I’ll make sure the boss just happens to come across your little collection of girly mags.”

Jae straightened in his chair.

“Right, this package goes to you. Unless it’s unavoidable.”

I patted his face, just slightly harder than necessary.

“That’s right.”


	2. Poor Surveillance

I didn’t have long to wait. The very next night I got an alert from Jae. She was down near the river. Not the worst part of town, but not the nicest either. I double checked the mobile ticket just to be sure. Leaving my food where it lay, I grabbed my helmet and headed out.

* * *

“You called for a carrier?”

Seeing her look up at me from the bench she was sitting on, I could barely think straight. Her scent was tainted, reeking of cheap soju and something a little more… acrid. I tilted my head at her as she nodded.

“You stole my gloves, Little Turtle.”

“And the jacket,” she was shivering, despite still wearing my spare jacket, “sorry.”

She started tugging the coat off. I smiled at her, even though I knew she couldn’t see it. I stopped her from taking it off. My thumb brushed against her skin by accident as I pulled it more securely around her. I blinked under the helmet, trying not to let the buzz flood me too much.

“It’s fine.” _What? Liar. No it wasn’t. Nothing was fine._  “It’s too small for me anyway.”

She stumbled a little. There was probably enough alcohol in her system to knock some of my coworkers out. I sighed internally. That part of my brain couldn’t help but think of just ho _w easy it would be to sink my teeth…_

_Don’t do this Chan. You can’t afford another mistake like that._

“Here.”

I kept one hand on her, keeping her upright as I used the other to grab my spare helmet. She watched my hands closely as I adjusted her hair and pulled the black dome over her face. My own eyes were stuck on the sliver of her neck that was showing. I could see her pulse there. It was fast. Too fast. Racing, in fact.

I clicked the intercom into action.

“Where to?”

“Take me home.”

_Maybe next time._  That’s what I wanted to say. Maybe next time I’d say something, do something. I just needed to get through this one run. _Just this one. I’ll… do something next time._

“Alright, let’s go.”

* * *

“It’s not healthy.”

He took a step back under the force of my kick.

“You think I don’t fucking know that?”

“Just making sure.”

“Hold the bag.”

He let me practice in silence for a while. But his observation gnawed at me.

“Nobody works here because they’re healthy.”

“What do you mean?”

I lowered my guard and leaned against the bag, facing Jongup.

“Come on, you know what I mean.”

“Besides the obvious? We’re helping people,” he shrugged.

“Yeah, but why? I do it because I feel guilty, and I owe Yongguk, and… well… who doesn’t like feeling like a hero sometimes?”

“I guess… But what about Jae? He’s not a carrier.”

That was true. Jae was also the only clean man in the company.

“He’s socially inept. Sitting in a room answering calls for help is probably a best case scenario for him,” I shoved myself off the punching bag, setting my stance again.

“Junhong?”

“That prince? He’s daydreaming about being a tough guy with a heart of gold. Rescuing princesses, breaking hearts, knowing a guy who knows a guy.”

“Boss?”

I started in on the bag again.

“You know why.”

Jongup took another forced step back, “I guess.”

* * *

“Little Turtle, what is your location?”

“Does everyone know me by that name now?”

“I’m the only operator, and it’s an uncommon title,” he paused, “but yes. You’ve become quite the repeat customer.”

“I’m probably wasting your time, huh?”

I kicked at the asphalt. I wasn’t doing it on purpose. My tolerance just seemed to have developed some odd patterns. _Who else was I supposed to call when I woke up from a blackout in a strange part of town?_

“Not at all. It’s good that you trust our service enough to use it freely. Empty lot, bridge on your left, old brick apartments?”

“How do you do that?”

“Trade secret. A carrier will be out to you in three minutes.”

“Thanks. No need to stay on the line.”

* * *

I didn’t recognise the car, nor the suited man who got out of it. He had a powerful demeanour. Definitely muscular, a little too-well tailored, wearing a black scarf over most of his face.

“Little Turtle?”

_Deep voice._

I nodded.

“Home, or do you want some attention for that?” He nodded to my legs.

Looking down I saw that I had a gash across my left knee. Must have been from when I had climbed the fence. Or when I had fallen down the other side of it afterwards. It didn’t hurt, so it probably wasn’t too bad.

“I’m fine.”

As ever, I couldn’t see any facial reaction. But the man knelt down in front of where I leaned against a fire hydrant.

“Let me take a look.”

I nodded, not really seeing a reason not to let him.

He carefully looked it over, his fingers gentle against the surrounding flesh.

“I’ll bring you to treatment. You’ve nearly fractured your kneecap.”

“It’s really fine.”

He stood up and offered me a hand. I stood, stumbling into his arms when a surprising amount of pain shot through my leg. I gasped and grit my teeth at the sensation.

“Exactly. I’ll bring you to the medical wing.”

“The… the what?” I was stumbling over my words from the pain.  _Why did it hurt so suddenly?_

“Your adrenaline is wearing off. Here,” he bent, hooking his shoulder under my arm and helping me into his car.

* * *

“She’s either one of the saddest addicts I’ve ever seen, or someone has been dosing her.”

I looked at the graph on Daehyun’s screen.

“I have no idea what I’m looking at.”

“Here,” Dae pointed at a spike on the chart, “knowingly or not, she’s been getting a regular, and increasing, dose of semi-active D-3 mixed with adrenaline and also what looks to be taurine.”

“Okay,” I stood up, looking through the glass at the girl we called Little Turtle. She was laid out in a medical bed, fast asleep thanks to Dae’s sedatives.

“What does that mean?”

“Besides the mechanics of combining adrenaline with a compound that settles the heart rate… I don’t know,” he tilted his chair back slightly, tapping his pen against his leg, "though taurine is usually ingested."

“If she’s been doing it on purpose, the question becomes whether or not she knew what it was. If she’s been getting dosed without knowing, the questions are who, and why.”

Daehyun tossed his pen onto the desk.

“Either way, she’s lucky she hasn’t died yet.”

“You’re sure?”

“Sure of what?”

“That she hasn’t died yet.”

“Yes, her wound is healing faster than it should, but still technically within range for a human. Though, if she hadn’t been dosed at the time of the fall?” Daehyun shrugged, “who knows?”

I rubbed my hands over my face, feeling the perpetual slight stubble there. This wasn’t good. If she was an addict, well, bad news for Himchan’s obsession.

If she was being dosed, bad news for all of us.

* * *

“You  **have**  to let me in.”

I stared Himchan down, arms crossed. We both knew who would win if it came to blows, but he seemed ready to try it out anyway.

“No I don’t. In fact, what I **should** do is fire you.”

He knew I wouldn’t do it. If he was gone I’d be permanently down a driver. Not to mention I wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on him.

Himchan turned, slamming his palm against the hallway wall. That was fine, let him vent his frustration. There was a reason all the walls were concrete anyway.

I sighed, running my hand through my hair.

“Himchan. You know the rules. You know they’re there for a reason.”

He was breathing heavily, his shoulders visibly rising and falling. I was actually a little proud of his restraint so far.

“You don’t understand Yongguk.”

“You’re right,” I shrugged, “I don’t. But it doesn’t matter.”

Himchan was on me in a second. Teeth bared as he pressed me against the wall, his eyes flashing slightly green.

“It’s the only thing that matters,” he growled.

“No, Himchan,” I gripped his hands, making him whine as my nails bit into the skin, “it isn’t.”

He dropped his grip on my collar, backing away and pacing slightly. Where he had been angry before, he seemed lost now.

“Look, I know it’s harder for you. But she’s going to be fine.”

“I can help her way faster than Daehyun can!”

I shook my head, “we don’t know that for sure Himchan.”

“You have to let me try!” He seemed on the verge of a breakdown.

“No,” I shook my head, “what if it goes wrong? If she reacts badly? What if you lose control? You could kill her, Himchan.”

A guttural sound of frustration boiled up and out of his throat. Himchan squat down, hanging his head in his hands.

“What if she dies and I could have helped?”

I couldn’t stop myself from scoffing at that.

“Stop being so melodramatic. You know that Daehyun will get her back to normal,” I sighed, crouching to put a hand on his shoulder, “just go back to your bunk. She’s going be fine.”

* * *

I heard Yongguk dial Jae’s direct line as I retreated down the hall.

“Take Himchan off of active duty for a while.”

It was the right move. I knew it was the right move. The fact that Yongguk felt like he had to try to hide it from me still stung though. That other part of my brain wanted to tear through him to get to her. What to do after I got to her was still a toss-up.

Instead I retreated to my bunk. Counting and recounting the ceiling tiles, I waited. It was just a matter of time before…

“Hyung?”

“Don’t you dare say it, Jongup.”

He pushed the door open, leaning against the frame.

“I won’t. Daehyun wants to increase your dose for a little while though.”

“They want me neutered, you mean. Yongguk sent you to tell me?”

He shook his head, stepping into the room. He placed a little bottle of pills on my desk.

“I volunteered. Figured you didn’t want to see the boss or the doctor.”

“Well,” I turned onto my side, facing away from him, “you’re not wrong.”

A step, a half shuffle, the creak of my chair under an unfamiliar weight.

“Hyung?”

“Mm?”

“What’s it like?”

I rolled to look at him. He was staring out of the little tinted window. The sun was up.

“What’s what like?”

“Meeting someone like that. Going outside,” he sighed, turning to look at me, “all of it.”

“It’s like getting drunk for the first time,” I rolled onto my back, closing my eyes.

“She smells so good. There’s nothing like that smell. She drives me crazy whenever I smell it. Every instinct goes on high alert. It’s like the best food on earth, and being out in the countryside, and the dirtiest sex you’ve ever had.”

“Hyung,” Jongup’s voice was sarcastic, “I don’t know what any of those things are like, or what they might smell like.”

“Sorry,” I opened my eyes, turning my head to face him, “he’s going to let you out eventually. You know that, right?”

Jongup nodded, lowering his gaze to stare at the floor sullenly.

“Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself.”

“He just worries about you. You and me…” I shook my head, “we’re both anomalies. Theoretical  **and** theoretically impossible.”

“But he lets you out. He even lets you go on runs,” he tilted the chair back, balancing on the two back legs. “I don’t think he trusts me.”

“You and me both. I’m off active duty,” I laughed, bitter, “I wish them well, running this operation with only two drivers.”

I sat up, scratching behind my ear roughly.

“I think he only lets me out because I was already out there when he found me. I knew the world already.”

Jongup nodded. It was a conversation we had had many times. There was no real need to rehash it now.

* * *

“You’re serious?”

Yongguk nodded. I still couldn’t believe my luck. I felt bad, since my good fortune was only because of Himchan having been pulled.

“It has to happen sometime,” Yongguk wore a sour expression, “might as well start now.”

“I’ll be good! I’ll do good,” I didn’t know why I felt the need to plead. He had already told me I was going.

“Jongup,” I shut my mouth immediately. Yongguk sighed before continuing.

“You’ll ride with me tonight. We’ll see how it goes.”

I nodded eagerly. My attitude had switched somehow. Instead of feeling the need to beg I felt that if I said anything he’d take it away.

* * *

Himchan was in the gym when I found him. I didn’t know why I had even tried looking in other places. Putting off the inevitable, I suppose.

I never quite understood why Himchan worked out. He literally didn’t need to. His condition kept him in nearly perfect physical condition.

There was no way he didn’t know that I was there, but he kept up with his workout. I waited.

“I heard he’s letting you out,” he didn’t pause, even for a second.

“I guess you were right.”

“What about?” He stood up from the bench, somehow seeming taller than usual.

“That they’re short staffed.”

He chuckled darkly, making an annoyed face.

“Don’t do that. You deserve to go out. Don’t make excuses.”

I nodded, watching him move to his water bottle. I knew he was going to ask…

“How is she?”

“Home. Youngjae and Daehyun have been keeping tabs on her,” I shrugged, “she seems to be clean.”

“Good,” he paused, chugging down whatever mixture he had in his bottle.

“Tonight’s your first night?”

“Yes. With Yongguk.”

He nodded, recapping his bottle.

“Bring food. Getting hungry out there is the worst.”

* * *

“It would be better if we could get inside her house.”

I shook my head fervently.

“Not without her permission.”

Youngjae leaned back in his chair and groaned.

“Is that really the most important thing right now? She’s being dosed and we-”

“She could be taking it on her own.”

“She’s not an addict,” he rolled his eyes, “I am a hundred percent clear on that. But we have a major blind spot in our surveillance.”

I rubbed my hands over my face.  _Why? Why must Himchan start these problems? It was trouble enough that he even existed, but this was too much._  I tried to reason with Youngjae.

“We have access to all of the CCTV near her apartment, right? We would know if anyone was getting in.”

Youngjae shook his head emphatically.

“No. We wouldn’t.”

I felt my mouth drop open slightly.

“What do I pay you for then?”

“To answer phones. But it’s not a lack on my part,” he turned in his seat, pulling up CCTV streams. He started pointing at different views.

“Front entrance is covered by it’s own cameras, plus the periphery of an ATM. Anyone that walks through the door is clearly seen from multiple angles, and can be seen while walking through the atrium. Here,” he pointed to the edge of the shot, “is where I lose them though. As soon as they’re on the stairs, they disappear.”

“And?”

Youngjae’s entire body moved in an are you kidding me? gesture.

“Do you know how big that building is? There are thirty apartments on each regular floor, twelve on the higher levels, and six on the two penthouse levels. There are four hundred and ninety-eight apartments in total, with approximately one thousand, seven hundred, and forty-three people living in the building. The security system only covers the door and the penthouse levels, probably because the lower levels are priced cheap enough that the owner figures there’s nothing worth protecting, and anythi-”

I had to cut him off.

“Make your point Youngjae.”

He leaned back into his chair again.

“All it takes is one person. One person living there, befriending someone that lives there, something. There are a dozen ways to get the entry code for the door, and as long as they don’t do anything suspicious in the entry or on the top levels, we’ll miss them.”

* * *

“Come on, babe, after everything we had together?”

I watched the exchange on my screen. Internally, I hoped that Little Turtle would kick this guy to the curb. Sure, I was coming into the story late, but if this guy had to beg like that…

“Do you think he cheated or what?”

Junhong sat next to me, straddling his chair. I shrugged, taking another handful of popcorn. It didn’t look good for this guy. She had made him meet her in a public place after all.

“Who knows? Probably.”

“Man,” Junhong shook his head, “can you imagine what Channie-hyung would do to this guy?”

I grimaced, recalling the last mess Himchan had made.

“I don’t want to imagine it.”

The screen flickered slightly, jolting me into action, Junhong watch me curiously as my hands flew across the keyboard.

Several science journal headlines later and I relaxed again.

“You okay hyung?”

“Yeah,” I settled back in my seat, “solar flares are messing with transmission. Thought it could have been something intentional.”

I groaned, throwing my head back.

“This is so boring! She’s so boring! She barely even goes out any more! Why are we watching her?!?!”

Junhong laughed, but didn’t offer any answers. We sat and watched Little Turtle struggle with whether or not to take her ex back in silence until the phone rang.

“Finally. Why is it so slow tonight?”

I shrugged in Junhong’s direction, lifting the receiver.

“Do you know your location?”

“Operator?! Oh thank god.”

I turned towards the screen. There she was, making the mistake of letting her ex hug her, not a phone in sight. I spoke hesitantly.

“Li… Little Turtle?”

“Yes! Yes… Can you… I have no idea where I am. Thank god I had…” I could barely hear her over the rushing in my ears. My attention snapped back to her voice, “…temporary phone. Can you find me? Please?!”

“Um… Uh… Su-sure. Just give me a second.”

Junhong was watching me instead of the screen now. I didn’t have time to care, or explain. Urgently, I pulled up the phone number, then located the GPS chip associated with it. After breaking through some barriers, I located a nearby security camera. There she was, not even within the county lines. Standing next to what appeared to be a fruit stall, across the street from where she must have bought the phone.

“What the fuck?!” Junhong was standing now, leaning over my shoulder, staring at the screen.

“Fruit stall?”

“Yes.”

“Um…”

I checked carrier locations.

“Thirty-two minutes, green Datsun. Stay on the line?”

“Please.”


	3. Good Luck Charm

I wasn’t used to this. I had never stayed on the line with the operator before.

He didn’t seem very comfortable either, but at least he seemed to be a professional.

“Do you remember getting there?

I wracked my brain.

"Uh… I was on my lunch break. I went to the noodle shop up the street. King’s.”

“And then?”

“I… I’m not sure. I can’t remember.”

There was a scratching noise in the receiver, then a different voice cut in.

“Little Turtle? This is… Fine Jae I won’t… This is black mustang.”

“Giant?”

In the background I could hear the operator asking the giant what he thought he was doing.

I heard Giant hush the operator. The operator picked the phone back up.

“Is there some way you can think of to verify that this is really you?”

I shook my head, forgetting that he couldn’t see me. But then…

“Really? Nothing?”

“Wait, how did you see that?”

I heard a muffled groan, “look, long story short: I’ve got two different, live, displays showing what looks like you in two very different places. So if there’s anything, any little thing that you can do to verify…”

I pushed my fingers through my hair, trying to process what was going on.

Then I realised I didn’t have to process all of it. I just needed to work on one part at a time. Step one: the operator needed me to verify my identity.

“The number on my regular phone is…”

I ran through as much information as I could.

“The first time I got picked up was by Chan. He told me his name when…”

Just anything at all that might help.

“I’ve been picked up by three different carriers in total; Chan, Giant, and the man in the suit. My last carrier was the suit man, and he insisted on…”

As soon as I opened my car door I knew that Himchan hadn’t been lying. She smelled good. Too good. I had limited experience but  _god damn_  she smelled good. My hand rose to my mouth, a needless attempt at hiding my reaction. Or was I trying to block her smell? I was already covered by the mask that Yongguk had issued me. I ran my tongue over my teeth before lowering my hand again.

_Just follow protocol._

“You called for a carrier?”

She nearly ran for my car.

“Yes! Thank you,” she seemed to be speaking into her phone then, “thank you operator, and Giant.”

_She was giving carriers nicknames? Why did that make me angry?_  I blinked furiously behind the glasses that Yongguk insisted I wear.

I opened the door for her. Warmth seemed to be streaming off of her body as she passed me to get into the car. Too much warmth. _Are packages usually that warm?_

I closed the door and crossed to the driver’s side. Taking deep breaths I tried to prepare. But there was no way.

She was crying when I opened the door. That annoyed me for some reason. She felt noisy now.

“Are you okay?”

“I have no idea what’s wrong with me.”

I stayed quiet, starting the car and pulling away.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” she hiccuped slightly, “I can’t remember anything.”

I let her ramble, but it grated at me. At one point she asked where we were going.

“Boss wants to look you over.”

She was quiet for a blessed twelve minutes.

“Why should I trust you guys?”

_Okay, maybe she’s not a complete idiot after all._

“Do you have a reason not to?”

She went silent for a moment before speaking up again.

“This started after I got my first ride. After I met Chan.”

The annoyance set in again. Chan, Himchan, hyung… Everything seemed to revolve around him. Yongguk trusted him more than me, gave him second, third, fourth… so many chances that I had lost count. Meanwhile I had been kept locked in the hub ever since they had found me. Sure, they treated me nicely, but I had just traded one cage for another.

She talked more, but it just made me ignore her all the more. Little Turtle… She was just another one of Himchan’s toys.

* * *

Little Turtle was escorted off to the the medical wing as soon as we arrived. Not five minutes later, Himchan burst into the garage.

“Where is she?”

“Medical.”

He pulled the passenger door open, inspecting the inside of my car. Eventually he turned to me.

“Where was she?”

I kicked at the ground, not knowing how to feel. Just ten minutes ago I had been thinking all sorts of things about him, but now that I was facing him… It was my own jealousy that made me feel that way.

“Outside the city.”

Himchan’s breathing was heavy, but he nodded.

“Tell me everything.”

“She was crying-”

He cut me off, pushing me against my car. His hand was on my throat, squeezing, pinning me down. I don’t think he was even aware of the curse that hissed out between his teeth.

“I’ll kill you.”

“Hyung…” I managed to choke the word out, “what…”

The green in his eyes dulled, slightly. The hand on my throat loosened, but wasn’t removed. He leaned down until his face was just a few centimetres from mine.

“Tell me.”

“She can’t remember what she does, where she goes,” I rasped out, “or how she ends up in places. She’s scared.”

He dropped me on my car, and stormed off. No apology, no second look. I rubbed my neck, coughing. _Crazy fucking bastard._

I straightened my clothes out, noticing a chunk had been torn from my jacket.

I could smell her on his clothes. I could smell her in his car. I was barely resisting the urge to bury my face in the passenger seat.

“Where was she?”

Jongup shuffled his feet, looking almost guilty.

“Outside the city.”

“Tell me everything.”

“She was crying…”

I lashed out, shoving Jongup against the hood of his car. The only things that held me back were needing to know the rest of what happened, and knowing that he would taste awful.

“Hyung… What…”

_Right, he still needs to breathe._ I loosened my palm on his throat.

“Tell me.”

Jongup’s explanation was unsatisfying. He wasn’t even done with the story when I stormed off to my bunk. I already knew that Yongguk wouldn’t let me see her.

* * *

I laid in my bunk, running the scrap of Jongup’s jacket that I had torn away between my fingers. It had him on it, but I was still able to be overwhelmed by her scent.

Inhaling deeply, I thought about her. That part of my brain went into overdrive. She had cried… I wanted to see her cry, to kill whoever had made her cry, to be the one to make her cry. She hadn’t remembered how she got there…

I shuddered, my palm on instinct travelling between my legs. It was an awful thought. The worst thought. But it was there nonetheless. That part of my brain was always evil.

_What I could do to her if I could guarantee she wouldn’t remember._

My hand scrambled, undoing my belt, fly, zipper. Dipping under my clothes, I groaned imagining how she would feel. I didn’t even know her real name, but here I was jerking off to her scent, to the thought of making her cum, to the thought of hurting her.

It was over both too soon and not soon enough. That part of my brain went silent, satiated for the moment, leaving me only with guilt and shame. I hated myself. I didn’t even bother to clean up, just turning onto my side. Clutching my blankets, trying to get some sort of comfort from them, trying not to think about how awful I was.

“How come you’re the only person whose face I’ve actually seen?”

The doctor smiled at me, double checking the picc line in my arm.

“That was my choice. Everyone else wears masks, so I thought you’d be able to relax more if you could actually see someone’s face for once. How does that feel?”

I looked at the little plastic contraption on my arm.

“Weird. Heavy.”

He settled onto his rolling stool and gave me an apologetic look.

“Alright. I’ve got three, maybe four, men that have a lot of questions for you. So how about you just tell me as much as you can? That way, I’ll be able to talk to them while you get some rest.”

I explained what I could, prompted by a few questions from Daehyun. I didn’t see how useful any of it would be. Still, he seemed to take some kind of understanding from it. Furiously scribbling notes in some shorthand that I couldn’t make sense of.

“I’ll tell you all about it once Yongguk gets back.”

“Can I see her?”

I shook my head at Himchan.

“Let her sleep. She looks like she hasn’t for a few days.”

Youngjae choked on his mug, causing red rivulets to slide down his chin.

“Days?! I’ve been watching her for three weeks! There’s no way that I would have missed that.”

Turning a cold eye on the vampire I sneered at him.

“Except for the part where you didn’t realise you weren’t even watching the correct person.”

He quickly averted his eyes and started dabbing at his chin with a handkerchief. Himchan frowned, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

“Okay, so… What are we looking at here?”

“How many variants could do this?”

“A hundred and sixty seven.”

“Sixty eight, if you count…”

I shot Youngjae a glare to shut him up. He crossed his arms and sat back, giving me his patented  _I’m only saying_  look.

“Okay, so a hundred and sixty seven variants. That’s… One starting place.”

This was a headache in the making. I didn’t have enough people to work on something like this.

“We can knock out a good chunk of those just based on intelligence,” Daehyun suggested.

“By whose measure?” Himchan spat, “because according to you, Junhong shouldn’t even be able to…”

“Himchan!”

He snapped his mouth shut, but made sure that his annoyance was clear via facial expression.

“It’s true that maybe my standards are a bit… higher than others’ for intelligence,” Daehyun commented, “I’ll be sure to take that into consideration while I’m crossing off the lower slime mimic from the list.”

I briefly weighed the pros and cons of igniting the entirety of my staff. Better not.

“Give the list to Junhong to work through. I want you to comb through every piece of Little Turtle…”

I paused.  _Little Turtle. Little. Turtle. What did that remind me of?_  I shook my head and kept going.

“… Little Turtle’s blood-work. In fact, get x-rays, scans, everything.”

“That will take a while.”

“Get Jongup to help. Himchan…”

He looked cautiously eager.

“She seems to trust you. Get to know her. Her friends, her family, exes, coworkers… Anything that might lead us to where she’s been getting those doses.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I,” I stood up straight, “have to go see a witch about a charm.”

* * *

“Djinn.”

“Witch.”

Vasilisa eyed me coldly. I watched her with mild interest.

“What is it this time? Need a new way to spay and neuter your pets?”

I smiled warmly at her.

“The doctor has my men under control. I need something for a human.”

She gave me a sceptical look.

“You don’t usually deal with humans.”

I ignored her unspoken question.

“That’s true.” Let her draw her own conclusions.

“What do you need? Protection?”

“Tracking.”

Vasilisa scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Isn’t that what Nerd of the Damned is for?”

I allowed myself another smile. She might be… biased, but I did like her nicknames.

“There have been some difficulties.”

“What’s your interest?”

“Somebody is doing work on her. I doubt they have her best interests at heart. She might not be the only one.”

“Okay, but what’s your interest?”

I spread my hands.

“Can’t a guy want to do some good?”

She snorted, but dug some chalk out of her pocket. She started drawing her door.

“You have a token?”

I fished the silver band out of my pocket and handed it over. She picked it out of my hand, looking it over.

“This should work. How do you plan on getting her to wear it?”

“She’s got an interest in one of my boys.”

“This boy got an interest in her?”

I considered that for a minute. Himchan thought she might be his bond. He had thought that before though. And there was Daehyun’s new dosage…

“She’s safe.”

She shot me another sideways look before opening her door.

“Wait here.”

She returned a few minutes later, ring in one hand, a pouch in the other.

“Here’s the ring. Here’s the dust. If I find out this was used for anything that hurt anyone…”

“I know, I know. Nice hair by the way. It suits you.”

“It’s a good luck charm. It will make me feel better if you wear it,” Chan pressed the silver band into my hand. It felt cool and heavy. Reassuring.

“Thank you.”

“You have to wear it,” the glasses had slid down slightly. They were snagged on his mask, not budging any further. I wanted to pull them off of his face.

“Promise me you’ll wear it.”

“Channie…”

His fingers were tight on my hand, holding my own fingers closed around the ring.

“Just promise,” his hands fumbled, uncurling from mine. He placed the ring over my middle finger. It struck me as odd that he was so nervous about it.

“Okay,” I nodded, “I’ll wear it.”

“I need more drivers,” I groaned, leaning back in my seat.

Daehyun tsked as he topped off my drink. It was generally a useless attempt at relaxation, but he was sure he had figured out something that would work on me.

“Where are you going to find a qualified driver?”

He perched on my desk, crossing his legs and wrists. It was almost dainty the way he held himself.

“I don’t know. Racing circuits?”

I tasted the doctor’s mixture. It was downright rancid. Forcing myself to swallow was a chore. He watched me closely.

“That bad, huh? I’ll figure out some fix,” he chucked back his own drink. “Is that really the kind of person you want here?”

I rubbed a hand over my face. He was right, but I didn’t really have much choice.

“We don’t exactly have an option. You don’t come across types like us just anywhere.”

“So, what? You’re going to start hiring humans?”

I laughed, rolling my chair closer to him.

“Why?” I tugged him onto my lap, “will you be jealous if you’re not the only human around?”

He leaned his head against my shoulder and sighed. My breath caught as he started running his fingers over the buttons of my shirt.

“You and I both know that I hardly qualify anymore.”


	4. Crystal Cherry

I smelled him from outside my door. Ozone. He was probably waiting for me inside. I sighed and pushed the door open.

I was right, of course. He was sitting at my desk, eyes on the small window, tapping his fingers against the desktop.

“Well?”

“I'm changing your assignment.”

I bristled. “You can't.”

He shook his head, standing up.

“Here,” he handed me a new pill tin, “higher dose. Keep an eye on Little Turtle.”

I stared at the small silver case in my hand. He was giving me an even higher dose? It had barely been a month since the last increase. Yongguk cleared his throat, and I looked back up at him.

“Don't let her know you're there. Just watch out for her. If she calls, Youngjae will route the delivery to you.”

I shook the tin.

“Wasn't that my assignment anyway? Why the increase?”

“Daehyun has a theory about the effects of her exposure. And I want you to stay in the background.”

“And that means I need a higher dose because...?”

Yongguk sighed. Whatever this was, I wasn't going to like it.

“Because you're emotionally involved. You might do anything to protect her, but we need you able to keep a level head. You lose control,” he spread his hands, “we lose our advantage.”

He headed towards the door, but I called after him.

“Yongguk!”

He paused, turning to half face me.

“You make it sound like there's a specific enemy.”

Yongguk slowly blinked before reiterating his previous statement.

“Don't let her know that you're there.”

* * *

 

I tried to stay in the background. I knew that trying to be inconspicuous was just making me more conspicuous, but I wasn't really concerned about the random passers-by who might notice me.

Cars pulled slowly back and forth between races. The drivers moved them through the crowd like carts in a market square. I caught a flash of a bright blonde bob and long brown and red flitting through the crowd. I knew they must have seen me by now.

Flowing ashy blonde appeared by my shoulder.

“You're either looking for a driver, or you're desperate for money.”

I smiled down at her.

“Any suggestions Bori?”

She pursed her lips and scanned the crowd, arms crossed.

“Not off the top of my head, but I can keep an eye open. How urgent is it?”

“Himchan's found new fixation.”

Bori laughed, eyeing a blue and silver car sliding past us.

“That's hardly an emergency. That's just a Tuesday.”

“Maybe. But this one is different. I don't know what sort of coincidences had to happen, but she's being experimented on. D-3.”

Bori dropped her arms and turned to look up at me. She smiled slightly, tilting her head.

“I might just have a driver for you.”

* * *

I sat in my sister's apartment, listening to her worry.

"... expect me to know. As if I have some sort of instant connection with you. Can we both go and explain that that is not how twins work?"

I shrugged.

"But remember when I got in that car accident?"

"That was a coincidence!"

Sure. And I didn't know before she did when she got pregnant. I decided to let it slide though.

"Why would she ask you anyway? She has my number."

Seungah rolled her eyes and snorted. "We all know whose side you were on when eonnie left. Mum feels like if she's too clingy she'll lose you too."

"Right," my turn to roll my eyes, "don't show an interest. That's how you rebuild familial bonds. When's your next appointment?"

"Tuesday. Have you had any side effects yet?"

I thought it over before answering.

"Not really. Maybe a little more sensitive to alcohol. You?"

She shook her head.

* * *

 

It took her longer to notice the ring than I expected. When she heard my explanation she voiced what sounded a lot like reason.

"A strange man, whose face you've never seen, gave you a ring as a good luck token? After he and his friends gave you medical care? For free?"

_Well, sure, it sounded stupid when she said it like that._

"It's... I mean... He helped me."

Even as the words formed, they sounded weak.

Seungah shook her head. "He's either a weirdo or a player. That ring either means more than good luck, or is some cheap trick to keep you interested."

* * *

 

I felt cold, but I was sure my skin was hot. Sweat glistened on every inch of my exposed skin. My own pores were working overtime to mix with the moisture coming off of whoever the man in front of me was.

"I'm going for some fresh air."

I nodded. He leaned in, speaking through my hair.

"Come with me."

I smiled and let him lead me to the poorly lit patio. There were a few others outside, which seemed to throw a wrench into his plans. The heat from when we were inside began to ebb as he made small talk. When he asked me what I did for work, I decided to take the lead.

"Why don't you ask me something you actually want to know?"

His smirk was playful. We were back in business.

A gratuitous sweep of his eyes over my body sparked an idea in his mind.

"How do you get into such tight leggings?"

* * *

 

My blood was near the boiling point.

_She's not mine. She's not mine. She's not mine._

**_Yet._ **

She giggled and stretched out a leg, pulling her skirt upwards slightly in the process. The man she had been dancing with reached out a hand and ran two fingers along her outer thigh. It was a small move, a brief move, a light move, a forgivable move.

But then she grabbed his wrist and moved it higher on her leg. She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear. If it weren't for the damn noise of this place I would have been able to hear it.

As it was, my only option was to watch.

Her lips found the line of veins and arteries in his neck. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. I could feel the arousal pouring off of her. It was pumping through my veins as well as hers. I dug my tin of pills out and popped two into my mouth.

* * *

 

His skin was so warm. Every extra touch just urged me on to find more. I playfully ran my fingers over his shirt buttons. He muttered something that I wasn't really paying attention to. I caught something about a hotel. I quickly agreed.

* * *

 

I watched them enter the tacky establishment. I shot a text off to Youngjae, telling him which hotel she was at, before heading back to where my bike was parked.

> _**To: Operator  
>  Crystal Cherry. Twenty minutes.** _

It was, unfortunately, more time than I'd need.

* * *

 

I had been expecting her call. Even without Himchan trailing her I would have been expecting it. It was, after all, a Wednesday night.

"Little Turtle?"

"Who else?"

"Pulling up your location. How're you feeling?"

"Dizzy. Going to haul me into medical?"

"Not if you don't want to. I've got a driver twelve minutes out, if you don't mind the bike."

Silence on the phone. I saw her biting her thumb on my screen.

"If you'd prefer a car..."

"It's fine. You said twelve?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Thank you Operator-oppa."

She popped the last word out. It was unsettling. _Was she... no... she couldn't be flirting with me._

Part of me didn't want to disconnect. One of my safety features of the system would automatically disconnect the video feed when I hung up. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Personal privacy and all that.

It only took me a few seconds to find her again. But I had learned just how much you can miss in a few seconds.

* * *

 

Twelve minutes. A fake time to make it seem like I wasn't...

**_Stalking her?_ **

_Trailing her. Stalkers have malicious intent._

**_Stalking her._ **

I chewed another tablet.

Nine minutes later I started my engine. Eleven minutes later I pulled up in front of the hotel.

Somehow she looked even better than when the night had started. The pink and blue neon lighting played in my mind. That part of me wanted to bring her back inside and get a room.

"Little Turtle."

She bit her lip. It was obvious she was uncomfortable. She didn't look at me.

"Chan."

Would it make her more or less uncomfortable if she knew that I was too busy trying to take in her scent to judge her?

* * *

 

"Little Turtle."

I could feel Chan judging me through the helmet. I couldn't stand to look at him.

"Chan."

_This is stupid. Why do I care what he thinks? He's just a driver. Sure, he's the driver I get most often, but he's just a means of getting home from mistakes. Anything else was entirely in my own head._

He unclipped the extra helmet and held it up.

"You..."

"I know the drill."

I took it and pulled it over my head. His hand seemed to float in the air for a second. My gaze got caught on those rings he wore again. Slender fingers, black and silver bands. If my errant sister hadn't gotten all of the artistic talent I would want to draw his hands.

He tapped the helmet, and I heard the familiar click.

"You're not wearing the good luck charm."

With the double-barricade of both of our helmets I looked up at the approximate location of where his face was.

"It doesn't match my outfit."

His helmet bobbed, a nod.

"I had hoped you would always wear it."

I scoffed, not sure how that would translate through the speakers.

"Let's go."

The ride itself was great. I relaxed as we wove the way home. The temporary damper on the thrill of the night lifted. This bike, this ride, this was the perfect way to come down.

Almost. _Fuck._ That insurance clerk from the bar had been... self-involved. The ride was a good relaxant, but I still felt that coldness. Instinctively seeking warmth, I wrapped my arms more tightly around Chan.

* * *

 

The burst of crackling in my ear was unmistakably derisive. She had been decidedly colder for the last few rides. I wanted to reach out and shake her, ask her what was wrong. I want her to explain why she was putting this barrier up between us.

But I knew why. It made sense. She didn't know me. I probably looked like...

**_A stalker?_ **

I probably looked like a pathetic lovesick cabbie.

She was stiff when she got on the bike behind me. I barely resisted veering off track, out of the city. We could go somewhere with trees and sky. Somewhere open. Somewhere we could talk. _But what would I say? How could I fix this?_

**_Do it anyway. See what happens._ **

_I can't. I have to take her home._

As I navigated I felt her loosen up behind me. Her grip around my waist was more sure, and her body swayed with the motions of the bike. It seemed like she was enjoying the ride, despite her earlier coldness. After a bit her grip tightened around me. Her body shifted closer. I was mentally counting down the blocks to her apartment.

* * *

 

I saw Himchan's bike roll up and leaned in closer to my screen to watch.

Little Turtle let Himchan help her off the bike. I couldn't tell who was causing it to be such a slow process. She unclasped her helmet, but Himchan was the one that pulled it off of her.

I realised this might be some sort of personal moment. _Maybe I shouldn't be watching this._ If he took his helmet off I would have to inform Yongguk.

I glanced up at the screen to see Himchan waving up at the building. His helmet was firmly in place. Letting out a breath, I turned my attention to an article in one of my magazines.

* * *

 

“I want you to come with me next Friday.”

I shifted so that I could look up at Yongguk. Lines of worry creased his face. I reached up and pressed my finger against them.

“Stop that. You'll get wrinkles.”

Yongguk smiled, brushing my hand away.

“You'll get them before I do. Will you come?”

I grumbled and burrowed my head against his chest.

“Hyunie... Please? I want you to look this guy over before I offer him the job.”

I felt him kiss my head. Then his hand slid under my chin, pulling me up to his lips. _Unfair._ The chill of the room quickly dissipated. Or at least, it felt like it did.

“I'll think about it.”

He knew I didn't like leaving unless I had to. He also knew I'd do it because he asked. But we had our rituals.

He turned, leaning me back. His body lingering over mine as he leaned down to my neck and shoulder, kissing the scarred stitches there.

_Unfair._

* * *

 

I looked down at my shirt. I really needed to stop wearing white. My gaze fell back to the motionless lump on the pavement before me.

_What a hassle._ This should have been a normal delivery. The package was in my possession. I would still make the delivery.

I should probably report this though.

But first... The shirt was already ruined. And it wasn't likely that this guy needed his blood anymore.

I knelt next to the body. He was still alive, but not for long. I tore his shirt open, looking for any pre-made opening that I could use. There was nothing though.

The man coughed, blood sputtering between his lips. Haemoptysis. Good enough for a quick taste.

I'm sure he was confused. The man that had just beaten him was now leaning down and locking his lips over his own. He started struggling again, his latent homophobia triggering his instinct to escape. _Don't flatter yourself kid._

His struggle did cause more blood to well up in his mouth though. This guy was going to drown in his own blood soon. I clenched my hands on his arms pinning him still as best as I could.

Every swipe of my tongue brought more of his taste into my mouth. Idly, I wondered if this was why there was a trend of homosexuality in vampire fiction. I didn't feel particularly turned on myself, but to an outside observer...

The man stopped struggling. He was almost done. Pulling back, I looked him over. _What should I do?_ Patting him down briefly, I came across a pretty little knife. Sliding it open I looked him over again. There was a bruise under his ribs. That would do nicely.

The man let out a noise and jumped again as I sharply rammed his own knife into the middle of the bruise. _So he wasn't quite gone yet._ Blood immediately started pouring out of the wound. I was running out of time. I dipped my head, and latched onto the opening.

* * *

 

I dropped the package off on time. The recipient wanted to seem unfazed by my clothing, but I could tell he was a little concerned. I gave him a snapshot of the man's face. It wasn't my problem anymore.

* * *

 

"What happened to you?"

Junhong was buffing out an imaginary scuff on his fender. I looked down at my shirt again.

"Interruption. Someone wanted the box for themselves."

Jun paused, looking me over slowly.

"And...?"

"And he didn't get it. Don't worry," I headed towards the office, "it will look gang related."

* * *

 

It was clear to everyone that Jongup was better suited to certain deliveries. Actual packages of indeterminate legality were more his style than passenger packages. He was quickly assigned as our go-to guy for the side of business that actually brought in money.

But he had changed. It was unnerving to see him return so casually covered in someone's blood. I was beginning to suspect that Yongguk was even pulling him into his specialised field. I didn't like it, but what could I do?

I watched Jongup walk away. We all have skills I guess.

A whiny engine pulled in soon after. Himchan. I smiled up at him.

"How's our princess?"

He dismounted and practically tossed his helmet aside.

"No jokes tonight Jun."

I pouted.

"What's wrong?"

"Shit..." He took a deep breath and pushed his hair back. "Everything. Where's Yongguk?"

"Out."

"Fucking hell. Alright. The doctor around?"

I had to laugh at that.

"Where else would he be?"

* * *

 

I called for whoever knocked to come in. Himchan grumped himself into my office and slumped into my chair. I waited.

"She's not wearing the ring."

_Ah._

"Good thing you're tailing her then."

Himchan huffed and leaned forward.

"Any ideas on her double?"

"Sure. Plenty of ideas. Too many. That's the problem." I looked him over carefully. "No insight from watching her?"

He shook his head. He was obviously reluctant to leave. I sighed.

"Tell me."

"She goes out, gets drunk, and lets the greasiest losers bring her back to hotels. An hour or two, then I go pick her up." He snorted a rough laugh and shook his head. "What's the appeal? Why doesn't she... I mean... Why not..."

"Why settle for one night flings when there's a perfectly respectable murderous creature of the night that's desperately in love with her?"

One of my pencils was flung in my direction.

"Shut up! Maybe not me... But aren't relationships better? Having someone who cares about you for more than a little time with your body?"

I watched him huff and settle deeper into my chair. Pushing my glasses up, I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Have you not noticed the patterns?"

"What patterns?"

_How would anything get done around here without me?_

"Haven't you considered that maybe this sort of behaviour has something to do with her getting dosed?"


End file.
